Can You Get Pregnant After Missing Two Birth Control Pills?
Hello Doctor,
My fiancée missed her combined contraceptive pill (28-day pack, with 21 active pills and 7 placebo pills) for two consecutive days during the third week of active pills. On the second missed day, we had unprotected intercourse. This happened about 3 to 4 days before her placebo week started. Since then, she has had two regular withdrawal bleeds during her placebo weeks—one right after the missed pills and another the following month. Given that she missed two pills before her placebo week but still had two withdrawal bleeds, is there any chance she could still be pregnant?
Hello,
Thank you for reaching out to Dr. Galen. Please find the below response to your query.
1. No, it is not likely that she is pregnant. Missing two pills in the third week may slightly reduce contraceptive effectiveness, but since she had two regular withdrawal bleeds in the following placebo weeks, it strongly suggests that she is not pregnant. Withdrawal bleeding occurs due to the drop in hormone levels, and having two consecutive cycles indicates that her body responded as expected.
2. However, if she is still concerned, she can take a home pregnancy test for reassurance. To maintain optimal protection in the future, she should follow the missed pill instructions in the pill's packaging and consider using backup contraception if pills are missed in critical weeks.
Thanks
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